This is Money Podcast

An energy firm collapsed this week, but even if you were one of GB Energy's customers you might not have even realised.If you've ever wondered where all those strangely named energy firms have come from, listen to this week's This is Money Podcast to find out.Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce, of This is Money, join Georgie Frost in the Share Radio studios to discuss why our energy firms are feeling stressed.They also look at why our banks are being stress tested, with the majority state-owned RBS setting an example by failing.But how do you get from that to Guns N' Roses and OPEC? Listen to this week's podcast to find out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The new Chancellor delivered his first Autumn Statement this week with the aim of distancing himself from his predecessor - but what will it mean for you?Philip Hammond grabbed the headlines with a ban on fees for tenants, a 2.2% savings bond, a minor splurge on infrastructure and an awful lot of debt.Will tenants bear the brunt of landlords hiking rents after being hit by crafty letting agents?Is a three-year bond paying 2.2% the answer to the savings crisis? What’s the key to productivity other than spending less time on Facebook?Are we really poorer than seven years ago and counting?How on earth will we ever pay off £2trillion of debt?Simon Lambert and Rebecca Rutt, of This is Money, join Georgie Frost, of Share Radio, in the studio for the This is Money Show podcast to try and answer all these questions and more.And if you’re all Autumn Statemented-out, there’s also some existential questions about Black Friday, a look at whether airport parking spaces really make good investments, and a Formula 1 car for the road that you can buy.It’s a fun show. Enjoy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the Brexit vote rolled in, a tax giveaway and spending splurge was considered a nailed on certainty.Five months down the line, Britain's economy has surprised many with its resilience and it's not so clear cut.So what will Philip Hammond do in the Autumn Statement. Will the public get infrastructure bonds to invest in, will stamp duty see a cut to get people moving, and will anyone ever commit to properly fixing Britain's roads.Next Wednesday's Autumn Statement holds the key and Simon Lambert and Rachel Rickard Straus, of This is Money, discuss the outlook with Georgie Frost, of Share Radio, on this week's This is Money Show podcast.Also under the microscope is Trumpflation. What on earth is it, why are investors chasing this trade and will a big infrastructure spend and tax cut in the US help its economy?Simon has read Donald Trump's economic plan and takes us through what the President-Elect says he will do (unless of course he changes his mind).Also up for discussion is the white Ferrari 458 Speciale and McLaren 675LT that can only be bought as a £700,000 pair from an Essex car dealer. Is that the kind of thing you'd treat yourself too.Listen to the show and leave us a comment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Simpsons predicted it but did you? Donald Trump will be the next president of the US after his election win this week - something many thought was impossible.But just how much of a part did economic dissatisfaction among those who feel left behind by a wealthy elite play in this? Did that wealthy elite spend too long ignoring ordinary hard-working families concerns and telling them they knew what was best? Why didn't the other side realise and do something that would have stopped the White House keys going to the most controversial president-elect ever?And what on earth does President Trump mean for the US economy and for the finances of us Britons on the other side of the Atlantic? Simon Lambert and Sarah Davidson, of This is Money, join Georgie Frost in the Share Radio studio for the weekly This is Money podcast to answer these questions and more.And it's not all Trump. We also get an update on Simon's will-writing adventure - where he promised to finally sort one out and explain what you need to think about, and talk about why mess can make you a success, what next for Tesco Bank and customers after its 21st century bank robbery and check up on some high street shopping giants.And finally, you know all that Toblerone fuss: want to know if it really does look that silly, or whether it tastes or feels different? We've got a new wide-valleyed bar in the studio, ready to test. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bank of England updated us on post-Brexit vote Britain this week and managed to admit it was wrong while telling us it was right. Simon Lambert, Adrian Lowery and Georgie Frost rake through the inflation report and outlook for interest rates and the economy on the This is Money podcast with Share Radio.They also look at what that High Court victory means for Brexit, business and our money.While this rumbles on, savers are being stung by terrible rates and inflation rising. So what should you do with your spare cash and what even counts as spare? We look at whether you should switch banks, invest it, buy premium bonds, or perhaps just go on holiday (be warned this is now more expensive).Watch out though if you do go away, you might find a robot has nabbed your job by the time you get back. We also take a look at what the rise of the robots means – and the jobs we’d rather they had taken of us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cleared for take-off? Heathrow is given the green light for a third runway, but what does it mean for the economy, residents, house prices and the future of air travel from Britain?Some under 30s ARE saving enough for retirement while we explain why turning back the clocks this weekend makes our roads more dangerous.Has buy-to-let gone cold? Or should landlords look north to student towns such as Leeds for better yields? Buy-to-let and LS6 postcode expert Simon Lambert runs the rule. And PPI. It has been plague to banks for years – but one, NatWest, has been pulling sneaky tricks on some who were due fair redress… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Enough already! Can’t everything just be simpler? ‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’, said Leonardo da Vinci, whose basic thinking gave us art and helicopters to chat about and wonder over for centuries. It hardly goes without saying that top of the week’s meddles is from Ryanair, the low-cost airline MOST famous for concocting increasingly bizarre, arbitrary ways of charging people more.Now it’s levying a fee for checking yourself in at home on your computer and printing the boarding cards – but only if you do so four days before you fly. Stop it!George Osborne, remember him? Also known as Gideon U-turn, the Chancellor who used to think up stuff in bed then announce it as Government policy the next day without the slightest idea of whether it would work. Pasty tax was one meddle you may recall. This week, plans to create a secondhand market for annuities was scrapped – because no one wants to buy duff annuities from people who don’t want them for very that reason. Stop it.Also on the show. The complexities around the wobbly pound, the dangerous, complex ramifications of the latest inflation figures, the banks that aren’t great at looking after your money, more complicated tax ideas and the five pounds worth more than five pounds because people are… oh, you know?On a simple note, you can now buy things for a million pounds with a swipe of your iPhone – oh, but only if you’ve got a million pounds. There’s always a catch. Join Georgie Frost, Rachel Rickard Straus and Simon Lambert for this fun look at the week’s events in the world of money. Enjoy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The country appeared to take leave of its senses this week. As the pound continues to take a steady route south through the Channel tunnel down to the capital of Armageddon, the effects are being felt by businesses across Britain. And bit-by-bit consumers are starting to notice. They’re not happy. News of the famous savoury black paste, Marmite, being taken off the shelves at Tesco spread across the internet like a yeast infection. People became hysterical - and not in a funny way.You don’t mess with people’s brands as Unilever found out when it stopped supplying the supermarket many of its famous-name products because of the rising cost of foreign-sourced ingredients. Join Simon Lambert, Georgie Frost and Lee ‘Bovril’ Boyce for an entertaining look at what it all means for the pound in your pocket. Also in the podcast: Former Bank of England governor Mervyn King believes the weak pound is a good thing for Britain. Don’t wait until to get to the airport to change your money – you’ll be in for a nasty shockThere are transfer services for larger amounts of foreign currency – particularly useful if you want to BUY pounds Are banks are a spent force? Lloyds seems to think so as it slashes rates on it accounts and slashes staff from its head count.Rant of the week: the best savings account now pays a pointless 1% interest and that is affecting the whole economy. How to spot a fund manager who talks sense and invests sensibly. There must be one or two. It’s not just the exchange rate that's back in the 1970s, brown cars are popular again. House prices might also get a mentions. Enjoy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the best money show on the radio. Of that we are in no doubt. What is in doubt, though, is what’s behind our ‘economic recovery’ and the small matter of the future of Britain. Georgie and Simon are joined by ace This is Money investment and business reporter Ellie Lawrie to pore over the week’s strange events. To the soundtrack of the Prime Minister’s pro-Brexit speech at the Conservative Party conference, the FTSE 100 was hitting near record highs. Behind the headlines, the story was somewhat different. The FTSE 100 index of leading shares is mostly made up of foreign companies so when their earnings are converted into pounds, they’re suddenly worth a lot more. That’s why the market is rising. But some clever maths shows that in real-terms the market is in fact down. Confused? Listen now.Also in the show A flash crash smashed sterling, Are we being controlled by algorithms and should we be worried?Among the platitudes aimed at loyal voters, PM Theresa May’s speech also included a promise to end corporate greed and corrupt banks. That would be a good thing but how would she pull it off?Wills – two in three of us haven’t got one and that’s an unnecessary problem. What would you do with £50,000? With rates so low, the traditional ‘overpay your mortgage’ answer is outdated.Fivers – should we keep them as collectors’ items or spend them? It’s a cashless society. Could they become valuable. As Christmas toys hit the shops, we ask what was your favourite toy? Did you kill Tamagotchis or make things with Lego?Enjoy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here’s our latest joyous look at the week’s events. Join Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce for money mirth with a few nervous laughs on top. We’re possibly staring global financial Armageddon in the face again as Germany’s biggest bank owes more money in fines than it’s worth while it sits on TRILLIONS of pounds of complex debt that no one appears to understand. UK banks were bailed out to the tune of around £500bn after the 2008 crisis, paid for by cutting Government spending and disability allowances and the like.But Germany is refusing to consider any such aid and austerity. The second biggest bank in Germany is also now in deep trouble as it announced 10,000 job cuts. The knock on effects are starting to resonate around the world. What happens next is worth a ringside seat. Also on the show:Help to buy is to die – it was a policy dreamt up by our already forgotten former PM David Cameron and sidekick George Osborne to increase house pricesAldi takes on Waitrose – the supermarket (German) too popular for its own car parks is set to expand Unusual money-saving tips – avoiding amazon, hiding money and moreBHS is back - but with 99.5% fewer employeesLong-term investing – it works How to choose a mortgage – as a lifestyle choice not a panic purchase And finallyThis week’s two-minute rant – why 2-year fixed mortgages are so popular probably has more to do with bankers’ commission than decent dealsReading list: Other People's Money: Masters of the Universe or Servants of the People? By John KayWatch list: The Big Short movie is now on Netflix Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.